Southern California Coastal & Inland Valleys
Tool or Gardening Product
To help concentrate daytime warmth, deflect nighttime chill, and increase seed germination, cover the planting bed with clear plastic sheeting. Anchor down the edges with soil or rocks to keep out slugs and others who love the succulent sprouts, and to keep the sheeting from blowing away. In the hottest summer months, this sheeting can be used to solarize soil to kill weeds, weed seeds, and diseases down to 6 inches deep.
Clever Gardening Technique
Garbage Can Tops
Tops of garbage cans, especially plastic ones with no handles, make easy-to-scoot-around receptacles for weeds or harvested fruits and vegetables. Unlike larger and heavier bucket-shaped containers, these won't mar delicate plants as you work along ground covers. Their broad, shallow surface makes them perfect for harvesting delicate vegetables and fruits that are best kept in a single layer.